Knockdown vessel.



PATENTED MAR. 21, 1905. c. H. GLEASON. KNOGKDOWN VESSEL. APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1904.

Witmm V NrrnD STATES Patented March 21, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

KNOCKDOWN V ESSEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,607, dated March 21, 1905.

Application filed April 18, 1904. Serial No. 203,662-

To (til Hill/07771 it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARL S H. GLnAsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Smethport, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Vessels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved knockdown vessel, here shown as a barrel; and it consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide a knockdown vesselsuch as a barrel, .box, and the like-which may be readily set up for use and which may be readily taken apart and disposed compactly, so as to take up but little room when being stored or transported, thereby enabling the vessel when. emptied to be readily returned at minimum cost for transportation.

The accompanying drawing is partly an elevation and partly a sectional view of a knockdown barrel embodying my improvements.

In the embodiment of my invent-ion here shown the body 1 of the barrel is formed of a plurality of stave-bars 2, which are disposed side by side and are flexibly connected together by wires or suitable cords or other flexible devices 3. This construction of the body of the barrel or other vessel makes the same flexible, so that it may be readily bent into cylindrical or other suitable form. The end staves of the flexible body of the vessel are provided with coacting fastening devices 5, which may be either of the form here shown or of any other suitable form and which serve to unite the ends of the said body together when thesame is set up and adapt them to be readily disconnected when the vessel is to be disassembled or knocked down.

The heads 6 7 of the barrel or vessel are provided with peripheral hoops or hands 8, which project from the inner sides thereof and form flanges which are adapted to engage the outer sides of the ends of the flexible body when the latter has been rolled or disposed in suitable form. On the inner sides of the said heads are linings 9, which may be made of paper or any other suitable material,and within the flexible body 1 is a lining 10, which may be made of corrugated paper or other suitable material and which may be readily rolled or formed to enable it to be fitted in the body 1 and may also be extended to dispose it in a small compass when the vessel is knocked down. The heads are here shown as provided on their outer sides with battens 11 to strengthen them. They are also provided at their centers with openings 12 and on their outer sides with centrally-disposed plates 13, which are preferably made of metal, are thickened at their centers, and taper toward their ends to secure the heads to the ends of thebody when the vessel is set up. 1 provide a rod 14, which passes through the openings 12, is provided at one end with a head 15 to bear against the outer side of one of the plates 13, and has its opposite end screwthreaded for a suitable distance, as at 16. On the threaded portion of the rod is a nut 17, which coacts with the rod to clamp the heads firmly on the ends of the body, as will be understood. This nut in the form of my invention here shown is a bar of suitable length, having an opening 18 at the outer end, through which a staple may be driven into the head to receive the bar when the same has been screwed on the rod.

- \Vithin the scope of my invention the barrel or other vessel may be of any suitable form or shape, and I do not desire to limit myself in this particular. Neither do I desire to limit myself to the precise construction and combination of devices here shown and described, as modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A knockdown vessel comprising a flexible body portion, heads to engage the ends of the same and provided With central openings, plates bearing on the outer sides of the heads and having openings coincident With those of the heads, a rod connecting the heads together and extending through the openings therein and in the said plates, and a nut screwed on the rod and bearing against the outer side of one of the said plates, said nut having an arm, a cleat on the outer side of one of the heads,

and means to secure the arm of the nut on the I said cleat, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES H. GLEASON. Witnesses:

J. W. BoN'roN, HALLIE A. WALKER. 

